Funny in Farsi

It reminds me of Amy Tan in the sense that her story, though factual, is one filled with cultural nuances that sometimes go unnoticed to the mainstream, but when revealed in the author's special way, they are humorous but not at all mean-spirited. It's a sweet story of the love of her family and the people she meets along the way... and growing up, just a little bit different than those around you. And I love her voices for her characters! Reminds me of my family some - though not Iranian, but Japanese.

I listened to this hilarious book during my commute to work on the subway, and I caught myself nodding in agreement and laughing out loud almost every morning, only to realize that my sleepy fellow passengers were glaring at me for waking them up! Although I live halfway across the world in Austria, I have had a similar history. The book not only touched me but it also made me realize that life ain't so bad as a multi-cultural adult after all. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what it means to grow up as an immigrant, and to anyone who happens to be one!